Young at Heart
by ellen-smile
Summary: A young McGonagall fic. She's about 17 and everyone's going to the Spring Gala... what will happen? My first fanfic. MMAD at first, then MMOC. also I have no idea where this is going.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is my first fic! Please review. That would make me very happy and I write more when I'm happy. It doesn't even have to be a good review! I love criticism. This is going to start out as MMAD but end up MM/OC. I hope you like it, sorry if I messed anything up, and without further ado, enjoy!

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**Young at Heart**

If Mr. Filch were to peer into the West Wing's girls bathroom on the evening of May 26th, he would have been surprised. The normally deserted bathroom was full to bursting with young witches in ball gowns, primping themselves and magically powdering their noses in preparation for a night of festivities. Tonight was the first annual Spring Gala at Hogwarts, and every female student 5th year and up was in the West Wing's girls bathroom. Even the Slytherin girls had turned up, however their sneers went largely unnoticed because of the gay atmosphere in the bathroom. You could practically see the excitement in the air, and all the young women had a new spring in their step.

"Poppy, I need your advice!" called Minerva McGonagall over the shrieks, giggles, and general chatter. She turned to face the mirror she was standing before as her friend reached her side. "Black?" Minerva asked as she swooped her wand across her front and the pink dress she had been wearing turned black, "Or Violet?" She repeated the motion and the black dress turned purple. Poppy giggled. "What? No pink?" she asked in a mock-surprised tone. Minerva smirked at her. "Do I look like a girl who would wear pink?" Poppies glanced at Minerva's sharp features and raven tresses and shrugged. "Maybe someday…" Minerva raised an eyebrow and Poppy burst out laughing. "Okay maybe not. Are you wearing your hair up or down?" Minerva looked confused. "It matters?" Poppy looked shocked that she would ask such a question. "Of course it matters! Min, I've been your best friend for 6 years now! Have I taught you nothing?" Minerva just laughed. "Up I suppose." "Then go with the black."

Minerva waved her wand once more and her dress returned to the black satin. She waved it again and her hair came out of its plait and started to rearrange itself. "Hey Min, we look good!" Minerva glanced up and caught Poppy eyeing them in the mirror. She giggled, but had to admit that her best friend was right. They looked much older than 17. Poppy, in a toga-like dress of scarlet (her signature color), had a crown of her namesake flower woven through her golden tresses, and Minerva in her newly black satin gown had her curls pulled into a simple French twist. "You need something for your hair." Poppy told her. "But—" Minerva started to protest but Poppy cut her off with a wave of her wand and a silver hair comb appeared. "How did you do—" Minerva started, but Poppy cut her off again. "Will you stop asking questions? I swear sometimes the Sorting Hat messed up and you should have been in Ravenclaw. Here." She grabbed the comb from the air and placed it in Minerva's hands. "Please tell me I don't have to tell you how to do this too." "Oh shut up." Minerva muttered, but her eyes were smiling.

"Oh dear. Gwen, let me help you!" Poppy ran off swiftly across the bathroom to help Gwendolyn Mayfield, who shared a dorm with she and Poppy, and was dancing around ridiculously. Minerva thought it looked like she was trying to scratch her back with her wand, but was actually trying to alter the cut of her dress. She watched Poppy help their friend for a moment and turned back to the mirror and fit the comb snugly into her hair. She stepped back and found herself staring at a stranger in the mirror. Or, not a stranger, but a more regal version of herself. Gone was the heavy bag of books that she always carried. Gone were the bags under her eyes from staying up much too late, and gone were the lips that were chapped from pursing in class. Instead was a young woman with her chin held high, her eyes a more intense green than Minerva ever remembered, and a smile gracing her defined features.

"Oh, Min! You look absolutely stunning!" Minerva turned to find Annabelle Levet beaming at her. Annabelle was the other girl who she shared her dorm with. Where Minerva was tall and lanky, Annabelle was short and rather plump. She was a popular girl, as she was extraordinarily funny and pleasant to everyone. "Professor Dumbledore won't be able to keep his eyes off you." She murmured. Minerva shrieked, "ANABELLE!" and blushed ferociously. Annabelle just giggled. "Oh come on, everyone knows you're lusting after him." "I am not lusting after Professor Dumbledore! He's a teacher! That's about as off limits as you can get!" Minerva whispered violently. Annabelle got a devilish glint in her eye and replied, "That doesn't mean it wouldn't be hot." Minerva shrieked again, louder this time. A few girls gave her an amused look. Annabelle laughed. "Oh Min you know I'm just kidding. "Do I?" asked Minerva, still pink in the cheeks. "Of course! You have enough sense to stay away from a teacher. I'm not so sure about him though." She moaned, "Oh Minerva!" and then ran away giggling, barely dodging a mild curse.

"What was that about?" asked Poppy, walking back over with Gwen in tow. Minerva replied, "Annabelle made a few choice comments about myself and Professor Dumbledore." "Oooooh." Poppy replied. "What is that supposed to mean?" Minerva snapped. "Well Min, you are top in his class, always volunteer, sit right in the front…" Poppy gave her an expectant look. "So? I enjoy Transfiguration!" Minerva retorted. Gwen gave her a suspicious look and said, "Mmmhm. And your aspiration to become an Animagus has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you would need private tutelage?" Minerva threw her hands up and said, "I don't need to deal with this harassment." "Okay! Okay touchy!—" Gwen giggled, but realized her mistake and stopped when Minerva started shooting daggers at her. "—We'll change the subject! Do you think any of the boys learned how to dance?" The discussion lasted until the bells in the tower started to chime 8-o-clock, and the noise in the bathroom amplified. It was time.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note: AAAAAAAHHH! I FORGOT A DISCLAIMER!!! I do not in any way shape or form claim to or pretend to own these characters or this story. The Harry Potter franchise belongs to J.. NOT ME! This is a double disclaimer because I made a beginner's mistake and forgot to add one in Chapter 1. FORGIVE ME! Also, I'm sorry this is a short chapter. I was going to make it longer but it would appear that my mind has shut down. The next chapter will be at least 1000 words, I promise. Thank you to my one reviewer! Your review made me very excited! Thanks. Okay. I'm done carrying on. Enjoy!

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Minerva McGonagall lifted her voluminous black skirts and started down the stairs to the Great Hall with the rest of her fellow students, but her thoughts were elsewhere. "Elsewhere" being with a certain professor whom she fancied no matter how wrong she knew it was, and no matter how hard she tried to deny it. Running her hand along the banister of one of the many staircases of Hogwarts, she started to replay one of her favorite fantasies in her mind.

"_Damnit!" she thought as she fell once again, and saw her books fly out of her arms. "How do you miss that trick step every single time, Min?" You'd think after tripping multiple times she would have learned to watch out, but no. And now she was going to be late for Charms. Again. _

"_Minerva?"_

"_Oh please, no." Minerva prayed to anyone who was listening. The last thing she needed was for Professor Dumbledore to find her looking disheveled, disorganized, and thoroughly embarrassed. Which was exactly how she looked now, with her quills, parchment, and books scattered all over the staircase. She turned around quickly, and found that nobody had answered her silent pleading. _

"_What happened?" Professor Dumbledore asked, staring at her with a rather bemused expression._

"_Why does he have to be so gorgeous?" she thought to herself. "Why couldn't my Transfiguration professor have been a 90 year old witch who was partially deaf? Why, in the bloody name of Merlin, did my Professor have to be a strapping 30-something man perfectly chiseled jawline? Why does his nose have to be endearingly crooked, adding a bad-boy element to his completely brilliant persona? And why, oh why, does my completely off-limits Professor have the most beautiful blue eyes that I have ever seen?_

_He was still staring at her. Minerva realized she had been staring for far longer than was acceptable and immediately averted her eyes and rushed out an answer._

"_Uh, trick step, Sir. Er, Professor."_

"_Ah. Well, Not to worry, I'll help you pick up and send a note to… what is your next class?"_

"_Charms, Sir."_

"_Yes, of course. I'll send a note to Professor Travis explaining the circumstances. I'm sure he'll excuse your absence."_

"_Thank you Sir."_

"_Always ready to help, Minerva."_

_She tried to ignore the tingles that shot down her spine when he said her name, and climbed up a few stairs to retrieve her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. She turned around and was startled to see him holding all her supplies in a neat pile. "How did… of course. Levitation. Why didn't I think of that? Stupid, stupid." She thought to herself. _

"_Thank you Professor." She reached out to take the stack of supplies from him. Inhaling strongly when their fingers touched for the briefest of moments, she glanced up to see her mentor's reaction. She saw a curious expression in his eyes, and the next thing she knew he dropped the books, grabbed her face, and was kissing her. Adrenaline coursed through her and her breath hitched in her throat. She felt heated as he backed her against the banister, grasping her hair in his hands…_

"Min? Hello! Earth to Minerva McGonagall!" Gwen was snapping her fingers in front of Minerva's face.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. I must have zoned out for a moment."

"I'd say so!" Gwen called over her shoulder as she ran down a few steps to catch up with Annabelle. Minerva tried desperately to hide her grin. Poppy was looking at her amusedly.

"You can't hide that flush from me, Min. I've known you for far too long."

"Poppy darling, you've known me for six years, the same as every other student in our grade. And I have no idea what you're on about." said Minerva with what was now a full-fledged smile.

"Oh don't give me that line! " Poppy retorted. She laughed. "You're planning something, and I want to know what!"

"No, Poppy, cooking up a scheme is something you would do. I don't have any plans. I'm thinking I'll just play it by ear, hmm?"

Poppy flashed a smile that lit up her whole face and said, "I knew there was a reason you were my best friend! Lets just leave it at this: I have a strong feeling that after tonight, your feelings won't be unrequited anymore." She gave her friend a hug that squeezed the air out of her lungs and laughed, looking for the first time that night that she might actually might have a great time at the Spring Gala.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I'm sorry this is so late! For some reason this chapter was really hard for me to write (the beginning at least) and I rewrote it completely yesterday. Hmm. It's a ponderable mystery. Disclaimer: JKR owns everything but the plot. Oh, and also, I'm a hobo. *holds up sigh cardboard sign* WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Man, I'll tell you what, these House Elves know how to brew!" Annabelle was downing her seventh glass of punch, acting rather tipsy, and drawing some curious stares from the surrounding tables. Poppy giggled and said, "Annabelle, the punch isn't even alcoholic!" Annabelle flashed her a wicked smile and pulled a silver flask from somewhere in the folds of her gown. "It is now." she stated. Gwen gasped. "YOU SPIKED THE PUNCH?!?"

"SSH! Hush up Gwen!" Annabelle clamped a hand over Gwen's mouth, giggling. "Spiked is such a strong word. It's more like I… improved the punch. That's it, improved."

Now they were really drawing stares from the surrounding tables. Minerva tried to hide behind her hand, as they happened to be surrounded by some very attractive young men and she could do without the label of "the girl with the crazy friends." Really, she just wanted to get through Hogwarts alive.

Poppy grabbed the flask, shook it, and said, "It's empty. Belle, what was this full of?"

"A teeny tiny bit of Icelandic Dragon Scotch." Annabelle replied with a guilty look, her hand still firmly clamped over Gwen's mouth.

Minerva was horrified. "Annabelle! How could you? Do you have any idea how much trouble we'd be in if one of the teachers found out? "

"We? You're the not one who improved the punch darling."

"No, but we might never be allowed a dance again!"

Annabelle let go of Gwen, swung an arm around Minerva's shoulders, and said "Lighten up, Min! Nobody's going to find out!" She then murmured in her ear, "I'm not going to tarnish your perfect reputation. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't like that too much, would he? But maybe a little bit of a rebellious side is what you need Min! You know, to liven things up a bit?"

Minerva grabbed Annabelle's hand around her shoulder and supported her waist so she acted as a crutch for her friend, who was clearly intoxicated. " Oh, for the love of—Annabelle, you're slurring. I think you've done enough lightening up for the both of us tonight." She addressed the other girls; "I'm taking her back up to Gryffindor Tower before she decides to do something else fun like burn down the Great Hall. Poppy, could you help me?" Poppy nodded and stood to support Annabelle's other side. "We'll be back in about half an hour."

Gwen gave her consent, and the three young women started to make their way through the crowd of colorful dress robes and glittering gowns. "Man, the Hogwarts staff sure knows how to throw a party!" Annabelle was gazing at the ceiling like she had never seen it before. Poppy rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Annabelle, I swear that if you weren't my friend I would hex you here and now. However you are my friend, though when you pull stunts like this I seriously wonder why." Minerva continued her best friend's train of thought. "You are also intoxicated, therefore we have a moral obligation to take care of you, no matter how much we would rather stay here and socialize." Annabelle looked from Poppy on her left to Minerva on her right, and said, "You use big words." Poppy replied with a slap to the back of her head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Annabelle asked incredulously.

"For being irritating. Your worst traits come out when you're drunk." Poppy replied crossly.

"Do not!" whined Annabelle.

"You sound like a child." said Minerva.

"Do not!"

"You're proving our point." Poppy pointed out.

"Am not!"

"Annabelle, stop talking." Minerva remarked.

Though she was still annoyed, Minerva had to agree. The Hogwarts staff did indeed know how to throw a party. The decorations were lovely. The ceiling of the Great Hall was clear and full of bright stars. The traditional floating candles had been discarded in favor of hundreds of orbs of light hanging just above the heads of the tallest students. The floor was carpeted in soft white petals, and the walls seemed to glow because the entire hall had been painted a champagne color gold. Even though there were no windows in the Great Hall, the perfumed fragrance of freshly cut flowers filled the warm spring air that was circulating, and on every single one of the tables that ringed the dance floor was a bouquet filled with enchanted flowers than changed colors to match the mood of the conversation.

The music was good too. Classical, at the moment, but it would surely morph into something more popular and danceable as the party wore on into the early morning. Minerva glanced over her shoulder and watched Gwen smile and take the hand of a charming Ravenclaw boy. She saw Gwen stand and allow herself to be led onto the golden dance floor, and the couple began to waltz. Minerva turned her attention back to the crowd she was trying to navigate, but her thoughts were still on the dance floor with her classmates dancing the night away. She longed to be dancing. Any dance would be nice, a fun way to spend time, but what she really wished for was to dance with the one man she couldn't. She let a sad smile form on her lips and thought, "I'm the right girl at the wrong time." But, never one for self-pity, she pushed the thought out of her head.

After repeating "excuse me" "sorry" and "pardon me" probably 20 times, the trio finally broke free of the crowd. They made their way out of the Great Hall and into one of their school's many open-air hallways. The air was much cooler outside, but still pleasantly warm. The small tree in the courtyard caught each girl's eye, and they agreed when Poppy said, "Come on, let's take a closer look." Annabelle seemed to have sobered up slightly and was staring at the tree with fascination.

"What is it?" whispered Poppy.

"A tree." replied Annabelle, as if Poppy had just asked a very stupid question.

"I know it's a tree Annabelle."

"Well then you should have been more specific with your question..."

Minerva blocked out her friends' bickering, completely mesmerized by the small tree that had become a living work of art. It was glowing with light, but covered in ice. It looked as if light was seeping out of every pore in the tree and flowing somewhere else on the tree to be absorbed again. A layer of ice that covered the tree contained the liquid light. It glittered as if it was crystal. The leaves, the trunk, the branches, everything was encased in sparkling ice.

Walking up to the side of the tree, Minerva placed her palm on the surface of the ice. To her surprise it was warm to the touch, hot even. And it felt like touching rushing water. She could feel the energy of the light rushing throughout the tree and back. "It's incredible." She whispered, completely in awe.

"I'm glad you like it."

Minerva's pulse jumped. She'd have recognized that voice even if the wind had been howling and the rain had been beating down. As it was the warm breeze was just strong enough to pull a few wisps of hair free from her updo. The voice danced along the damp spring air, gay and tickling her ears, wrapping her in a warm comfort... "Snap out of it Min. Stay in control." Minerva mentally shook herself, and then thought "Why does this always happen to me?" as she realized she was flushing.

She took a deep breath and turned around a second later than Annabelle and Poppy. She spied a figure leaning against the entrance to the courtyard, half in the shadows. He stepped forward and walked over toward the girls and the tree.

"What do you mean Professor?" asked Poppy. "Did you do this?"

Albus Dumbledore smiled. "Indeed I did." he replied. "It was tricky, mind you, but I think it turned out quite well. I was in charge of courtyard decorations."

"It's beautiful, sir."

"Thank you Miss Pomfrey. I thought it matched the Great Hall quite well. Speaking of, why aren't you girls in the Great Hall enjoying the festivities?"

Poppy looked sheepish. "Um, Annabelle has a really bad headache. We're taking her back up to the dormitory."

A look of concern appeared on Professor Dumbledore's face. "Can I be of any assistance? Does she need escorted to the Hospital Wing?"

Poppy's eyes widened as she realized what a fix she had gotten herself into. "Oh, no Professor! Absolutely not. No."

Professor Dumbledore looked confused for a second, and then stared at Annabelle for a tense moment. He relieved all three girls when he cracked a wide smile and chuckled. "I see. Well, you'd best take care of her then."

Poppy stared at him adoringly. She couldn't believe that he had let them off the hook when he clearly knew that Annabelle was drunk, but Professor Dumbledore was not your average teacher by any stretch of the imagination. "Yes sir, we will. Because we take care of our friends when they're in need, but we'll also give them a kick in the pants if that's what it takes. That's what friends do." She was staring straight at Minerva when she said this, and Minerva had a sinking feeling that Poppy was going to throw her under the bus.

"Well said Miss Pomfrey."

"Min, I can handle Annabelle. You stay here. I know you've been meaning to ask Professor Dumbledore about… something." She raised her blonde eyebrows slightly and shot Minerva a look that said, "I got you this far, don't screw it up." She grabbed Annabelle's arm again and practically pulled her along saying, "Come on Bell. Let's get back up to the Tower." Annabelle mumbled something, and then Minerva and her Professor were alone.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Okay, right off the bat: DISCLAIMER- JKR OWNS EVERYTHING. Now that that's through, it has been far too long my friends! I'm so sorry that this is as late as it is, but I've started school. You know how it is. Also, I'm only allowed on the computer on the weekends now too. So updates are going to be less frequent. Sorry! Stick with me, I swear I'll update as much as I can. On another note, I have no idea how long this fic is going to end up! I have grown really attached to Minerva as a character, and I want to explore her some more… this fic may end up being massively long! But we'll see where it goes. So here's a nice long chapter to make up for the wait. As always, R&R please! That would make me VERY excited! :]

"_Traitor_." breathed Minerva McGonagall as she stared indignantly after the retreating red fabric of her supposed best friend's ball gown. Poppy had completely bailed on her. Poppy was her closest her companion. Her partner in crime. They had always called each other soul sisters, ever since they had first met. Their meeting was one of Minerva's fondest memories.

Minerva had been brought up by a wizard family. Not pure blood by any means, as her grandmother had been muggle-born, but Minerva still knew her way around a wand. However, Poppy's father, the wizard of her family, had died when Poppy was only 4 years old. Her non-magical mother had raised Poppy on her own, and never let on that Poppy was anything other than a normal child. So when Poppy received her Hogwarts letter, she and her mother didn't know what to do. Minerva's family had found them looking utterly confused outside the Leaky Cauldron, and had offered to show them the ropes. The two families had made their way into the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. Most wizarding families avoided Diagon Alley just before the start of the school term if they could, as it was packed to bursting capacity, noisy, and dirty from all the people and animals that passed through the street. However, Minerva had always loved Diagon Alley just before school. It showed the best that the wizarding world had to offer. All of the shop windows were lit up and colorful, showing their finest dress robes, quills, books, brooms, and other magical items. All of the noise in the short dingy Alley was excited and joyful. They had passed through the back wall of the Leaky Cauldron and emerged onto the crowded Alley, and Minerva had felt an immediate connection with Poppy when she saw the huge smile on her face. The two girls had been inseparable ever since.

'Till tonight, anyway. Poppy had taken Annabelle and run off to Gryffindor Tower, leaving Minerva completely alone to fend off her emotions. She was 100% sure she would have rather gone through the stress of her O.W.L. exams again than be in the situation she now found herself. She was alone, with her very attractive, intelligent, quirky, charming, kind-hearted, and likeable yet mysterious, powerful, intriguing, tempting, and (who was she kidding) sexy Transfiguration Professor in a romantically lit courtyard. It was a situation that had a very good chance of ending very, very badly. She shook her head, smothered the small spark of hope that jumped in her chest and shushed the voice in the back of her mind that whispered, "But it could end very, very well too."

"No." She thought to herself fiercely. "This can only end badly. Just walk away Min. Make an excuse. Just like always." But then Annabelle's earlier words echoed through her head.

"_Maybe a little bit of a rebellious side is what you need Min! You know, to liven things up a bit."_

Her mind started to race. "Really," she thought to herself, "What do I have to lose?" She didn't think that there was a rule against flirting with a Professor. And when was the last time she had had a little fun? "It won't go anywhere anyway." She thought to herself, but a small part of her was reasoning, What if it did? She didn't know if there was a rule against students and Professors having a relationship, but if there was they could always keep it quiet. It wouldn't be hard. But then she doubted that. If a student had a relationship with a professor, the whole school would know in a week at the least! "It's Hogwarts for Cirque's sake, everyone knows everything." She thought to herself. "Especially juicy gossip. But then, what do I care?" she thought. "I don't care what anybody thinks." Unfortunately, she knew this thought was a lie the moment it passed through her mind. "Still," she reasoned, "The benefits outweigh the risks. By far." All of her thinking had taken only a few brief moments, and so she took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and turned around to face her Professor.

All the breath rushed out of her lungs. She had never seen him looking so… tempting. He was resting his weight against his enchanted tree, his arms folded across his chest, bathed in soft pulsing light. She couldn't help but notice how perfectly his dress robes fit him, subtly emphasizing his long, lean physique, and auburn hair looked slightly tousled, as if he'd just run his hands through it while pondering an idea that would undoubtedly revolutionize one of the branches of magic. He was sporting an amused smile, and Minerva got the feeling that he knew exactly what trick Poppy had pulled. And while all of these elements certainly added to Minerva's infatuation, she found herself not paying them too much attention. Instead she felt drawn to his eyes as if they were magnets, holding her eyes in place and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't look away. Though, if she was to be honest, she wasn't trying too hard. Who would ever want to stop looking into those captivating blue eyes, so unreadable? And why was life so unfair, that Albus Dumbledore could always tell what was on her mind, yet she couldn't even begin to fathom what was going through his mind as he stared at her?

"Something's different." She suddenly realized. "His eyes. Something's changed." She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she knew there was something more going on behind those blue eyes than his usual thoughts. "What is it?" she wondered to herself, racking her brain to remember all the times she had seen the eyes of her Professor. She was comparing everything she could think of. They were darker than usual, more the color of winter's dusk than the baby blue she usually saw, but she knew there was something else. When he taught his classes, the class was always enthralled. His exuberance, and his adoration for his field of magic always kept the class entertained. He would joke, and laugh, and still manage to teach them their lesson plans and more. And when he taught his classes, his eyes always sparkled jovially. But now, the sparkle residing in his eyes was but jovial. Alluring, yes. Mysterious, yes. Sexy beyond belief, yes. But jovial, no. Not in the slightest.

"I believe Miss Pomfrey said you had something you wished to ask of me?" Minerva was startled to hear Albus's voice, and realized that she had probably been alone with her thoughts for the better part of a minute. "What is it about him that makes me tongue-tied?" she quickly thought. "Okay Min, you can do this. Deep breaths. Just stay calm, don't loose control. And _don't_become too distracted."

"Yes, Professor. You see, my aspiration has long been to become an Animagus. I believe I'm now far enough along in my training that I could accomplish it. However, I need a sponsor and a trainer, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to assist me." She stared at him with baited breath, waiting to be let down.

His smile grew as he pushed off the tree and started to walk towards her. "I'd be delighted! I've been waiting for you to ask, Minerva. I know that you have the talent. I don't think I've ever seen anybody exhibit as much natural ability for Transfiguration as you."

Minerva felt as if she'd been hit with a Stunner. She couldn't move, couldn't speak for complete surprise. "He said my name. I heard it. I know I did. My first name. It definitely came out of his mouth." It was an unstated rule that teachers only called their students by their first name if they were especially interested in them, for one reason or another. Then she was filled with a fierce joy. "He's interested in me. He recognizes my efforts in his class, he knows who I am!" She broke into a beautiful smile. "Thank you sir! You don't know who much this means to me!"

"I'm rather sure that I understand." Albus said, the sparkle in his eye turning into the cheerful shine that Minerva was used to. "I feel like I could hug him!" Minerva thought. She pictured herself running over and tackling him with a hug, and then giggled out loud at the absurdity of it.

"Something amuse you?" he questioned. In any other situation this question would have been accusatory, but now it just sounded something that a friend or colleague would ask. "No sir. It's just that… I feel so happy that I could hug you!" He laughed along with her. Then he opened his arms.

"Professor, are you being serious?" she asked unbelieving, nervous, and thrilled at the same time.

"Of course I'm being serious!" he replied, chuckling deeply. It was a lovely sound, and Minerva instantly felt more at ease. "I do know that it is difficult to resist me. Hugs must be given every now and again, it's a fact of life. I wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for a few very important hugs... but that's another story for another time." He laughed again, finding himself highly amusing.

"Well then." Minerva didn't know what else to say. But Albus was still standing there with his arms open, completely confident. So she hesitantly stepped forward into his embrace.

"Stop it." Minerva thought to herself. She could feel herself trembling. "What are you, a timid rabbit?" But it was hard not to be overwhelmed. This was more than she had ever dreamed would be possible. She could feel his strong arms wrapped protectively around her, could feel her own pulse racing as if she'd been running all her life, could feel his breath running warm down her neck... She breathed in deeply, inhaling his scent of cedar and cinnamon. "Poppy, I love you forever!" She sent this thought to her friend, hoping with all her might that somehow Poppy could hear her.

All too soon he had withdrawn, and she felt chilled when the air blew where Albus had been so warm. But it didn't matter to her one bit. "Thank you." She thought to whoever had made it possible for her night to be so wonderful.

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to the music form the Great Hall that was carried by the wind out into their courtyard. Minerva glanced up at Albus, and found him smiling. "He felt it too." She realized. There had been something else in their embrace, something that went deeper than companionship. And they both knew it. Now it was just a question of who would act first.

"Professor," Minerva started, feeling color rush to her cheeks, "none of the boys in our year bothered to learn to dance. And it is a ball after all so I was just wondering…" Albus smiled just a bit wider. "You want to dance with me?" Minerva was completely flustered. "Uh, never mind sir. Forget I asked. It's just—" her babbling was cut off by Albus taking her hand. He led her a little further away from the tree that had provided them with light, and put his other hand on her back. Minerva placed her free hand softly on his shoulder.

She looked up into his handsome face, and wished with her whole heart that this moment could last forever. She was blissfully happy, happier than she had been in a very long time. "This is how it should be." She thought. "This, right here and now, is wonderful." And for the first time she acknowledged that she might actually be falling in love with Albus Dumbledore.


	5. Note from the Author

Note from the Author:

Hi everyone, or more specifically, anyone. It's certainly been a while! Now before anything, I would like to say that this is **not **a new chapter. It's just some general information that I felt you might be interested in. So recently, I reread the Deathly Hallows and it re-sparked my interest in the Harry Potter fandom. I'll be honest with you, I had forgotten that I was even writing this fic until I remembered it the other day. Um, oops. Sorry about that! So, I've decided to pick up this fic again, but take it in a new direction than what I had originally planned. Also, for all my lovely McGonagall fans out there, I'm sure you've heard the news about Pottermore and how Jo is releasing Minerva's history! I am unbelievably excited for this. However, with regards to this fic, I'm going to completely disregard it. I'm just going to go with whatever I happen to feel like going with. I'm just writing this fic to write. I'm doing it for myself, I think. I haven't been writing as much as I used to, and I feel like the skills are a bit rusty, and my writing style may have changed a bit during my hiatus. Therefore, with this fic I am not promising a masterpiece. I can't promise you that I'll continue to have ideas. This might not even get finished. I just don't know where it will go. At this point I'm just writing to try and resurrect any skills I might have had at one point. I'm not even promising proper grammar, though I will do my best. Chapters might be short, or few and far between, but I will try my hardest to make it worth the wait and the while. If you're a reader from way back when, thank you for sticking with me. That's all! See you soon!


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. Obviously.

The song ended and for a second they just stood, living on the moment.

"Thank you, professor." Minerva was acutely aware of the fact that they were still holding each other. Very, very closely. He was looking down at her with a friendly smile, and she felt the warmth of his affection wash over her in waves.

"You're welcome, Minerva."

There was a split second where neither of them moved, and then Minerva gave in to her impulsive side. She shifted her weight, leaned up, and kissed him. Softly at first, chaste. Exploring, and uncertain. A little to her shock, he didn't pull away. She took her hands from his and placed them on either side of his face, pulling him in. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins. Her heart was hammering. Then his hands were on her waist. He was moving in closer, opening his mouth… But wait. Something wasn't right. He was chuckling. Then he was pulling away.

_Wait… no… _ Her mind was racing a mile a minute. He pulled away, still laughing. She had never felt so hurt.

"Professor, is something wrong?" She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. He smiled kindly down at her, gently tucking a strand of raven hair that had come loose behind her ear.

"Oh Minerva. My clever, wonderful Minerva. I'm sorry but we would never work, and believe me when I say that it is no fault of yours."

She felt as if someone had punched her in the gut. Her fierce embarrassment made itself known by coloring her cheeks even deeper. "I'm sorry, sir, I should never have-"

"No," he chuckled again. She wondered how he could have the gall to laugh at a time like this, when she had bared her true feelings to him… "Minerva. Listen to me. _It wouldn't have worked. _Believe me, you are absolutely a desirable young woman, but I'm afraid you're not my type."

She started backing away. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. "Right," she said, "I understand-" he must have recognized the mortification in her eyes, because as she turned to flee he grabbed her arm. She felt like sobbing. All she wanted to do was leave, to escape this horrid situation.

"Minerva please listen to me. _It's not you. _I, how do I put this delicately… I play for the other team, so to speak."

She stopped, understanding beginning to dawn on her features. "…Sir?"

"Minerva," he paused and took a breath before continuing, "I'm gay."

She stepped back. Of course. Of course she had fallen for the gay professor. Because that's just how her life worked. _Damnit Min hold it together. Don't do this. Not here, and certainly not now. _She willed herself not to fall apart in front of him. "Of course sir, I understand. But I really must go…" It was only after she had turned and ran safely out of the courtyard that she allowed herself to release the hot, angry tears that had been welling up. She had taken off so fast that she didn't even hear him call after her.

AN: Curveball! Sorry, ADMM shippers. I just wasn't feeling it anymore. But stick with me! It'll be worth the while for some friendship goodness. Also I'm about to introduce a character with whom I have fallen in love. So yeah, stick around. xD Also, I'm sorry if this is awful. I haven't written in ages and it felt very strange getting back into the swing of things. And I have realized that I have no clue how to structure dialogue… sorry about that as well. Anyway, constructive criticism is much appreciated!


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